Sunlight and shadow greeted me as it dappled amongst the glorious vibrancy of the trees. Oh what trees they were! Each one stood tall and strong, with leaves so twisted and delicate, they could not possibly exist in the mortal realm. The foliage too appeared to be so many shades of green, it would be a fruitless search to find them all. My eyes also detected splashes of colour, as if someone had thrown a bucket of water and wildflowers had grown where the water touched the earth.

"Do you like the Elderwood My Lady?" Syethan's quiet voice reached my ears. Turning my head, I saw that he and Malgarth had come into to step beside Vesryn and I. The anticipation in both shuck and sidhe as they waited for my answer was palpable. "Oh Syethan, I have never seen such a majestic and beautiful place! It is as though this forest carries a life of its own." Awe coated my voice and I felt my lips stretch widely as I continued to gaze at the Elderwood. Vesryn rumbled beneath me in approval. "It is quite something to behold," the shuck murmured in agreement.

Glancing away from the Elderwood and back to Syethan, an answering smile graced his face, but there was also another emotion lingering behind his eyes. Relief. The word sprang forth like a jumping frog in my mind. Did he fear I would not like Elderwood? Or the Etherland in its entirety? He need not fear, for any place was better than Salem. I was fortunate to arrive in one that stole my breath with its magnificence. "I am grateful to you all for bringing me here, this place is beyond any dream." I reassured my companions, noting how Syethan and Malgarth's posture's loosened from their tense hold.

"The honour is ours," Malgarth said with reverence, inclining his head. Before I could question Malgarth's strange tone, Syethan spoke.

"We must head to the river My Lady, the night will be drawing in soon and the riverside will provide the perfect environment to rest this evening."

Flicking my lilac eyes to the sky, the sun showed no sign of dimming, perhaps the passage of time was not as gradual here as the mortal realm.

"Very well, how far must we travel?" I asked, trying to make out the path of a river through the trees.

"T'is not far My Lady, just a league hence by the great oak." I did not know what the measurement of a league was, but nodded my head despite the lack of knowledge. The reminder that I had much to learn in my home world once more swam through my head like a fish heading upstream.

Vesryn padded forward beneath me, the movement shaking me from my thoughts. Malgarth and Syethan were already a few paces in front, heading deeper into the Elderwood. Suddenly inspiration struck my form. My chance to question Vesryn on the fae road had been snatched from me, but mayhap on this journey to the river I would be able to gain a few answers from him.

"Vesryn, I have been wondering if you could assist me in something," my voice echoed curiously as we travelled further beneath the colossal trees. One of Vesryn's dark ears twitched in my direction.

"I will endeavour to aid you My Lady," the shuck replied though his words held both a cautious and curious tone.

"I have a question I believe you may have the answer to," I began carefully, "why do the three of you insist on calling me that title?" Best to ease into my questions gently, this seems a fairly simple one. The muscles beneath my hands tensed for a brief moment before smoothing out as though nothing had happened.

"That is perhaps best left to Syethan to answer," Vesryn rumbled, his ears flicking once more.

"I have asked him once Vesryn and his answer was most evasive. You do know the answer, do you not?" It had not been difficult to determine that Vesryn, Malgarth and Syethan all knew the same information.

"You are correct My Lady," Vesryn sighed through his dark muzzle as the tree shadows danced across his fur from our pace.

"Then why do you not wish to tell me?" I implored the shuck gently, feeling the muscles behind my position twitch as Vesryn flicked his tail restlessly.

"It is not a question of wishing to tell you My Lady. Though we all hold the answers you seek, Syethan is the one that has been through much in order to bring them to you."

My gaze sought out Syethan and Malgarth still travelling at an even pace a little way ahead of us. The sidhe's posture was tense, as though he expected some type of trouble at any moment. Unlike myself, he gripped Malgarth's fur with only his left hand. The right rested on the hilt of his blade, with his fingertips slightly curled. The realisation that the position of his fingers meant he could grip and wield the blade in an instant tore through my mind as waves tear the sea. What had Syethan been through in his life to never feel at rest? I understood what it was like to feel on one's guard, but I could not recall it being a permanent state. The image of flames licked at my mind. Perhaps it should have been.

"Vesryn?" my subdued voice asked carefully.

"Yes My Lady?"

"He will tell me, will he not?"

"Of course My Lady. He will tell you everything you wish to know."

"Thank you Vesryn," I smiled rubbing his shoulder blade quickly in reassurance. The shuck let out a pleased grumbling sound at my touch, continuing on with no more words passing between us.

---

It was some time before the soft sound of running water reached my elongated ears. A looming shadow suddenly consumed our forms, though Vesryn, Malgarth and Syethan did not seem worried. Casting my eyes upwards, the sight of an enormous oak tree greeted them in return. The branches were strong, sturdy and stretched over enormous distances. The thickness of one branch was easily the size of a shuck! It must have been here for centuries to grow to such height and strength.

"The oak has been here since before time," Syethan's voice called, observing my awed expression. I turned my stare from the tree to him, eyes widening at his statement.

"Before time?" I ventured, amazement soaking into my words like rain on the ground.

"Yes My Lady, the tree has been here before sidhe came to be, before the Elderwood formed. Some sidhe speculate that the great oak is the origin of the Etherland, though there is no evidence. Regardless, it is magnificent, is it not?" Syethan ended with reverence, his own silver gaze sweeping over the various branches and leaves.

"Indeed" I agreed breathlessly, reaching out to run my fingertips over one of the lower hanging branches.

"It is not where we will be resting for the evening I am afraid My Lady, our destination lies around this corner," Syethan gestured ahead to where the land curved widely. The shucks who had stilled under the great oak, began to pad forward hastily at Syethan's words. The sunlight caressing my skin through openings of leaves was darkening and dimming, almost seeming to have a faded glow around the edges. That is why Malgrath and Vesryn are moving so quickly, night will soon be upon us.

It did not take long before we had traversed the corner, where a beautiful willow tree stood apart from the rest of the Elderwood. While not as large as the great oak, the tree was still much bigger than a willow of the mortal realm. The wide river was a clear sight here, and flowed parallel to the tree. Vesryn wandered through the curtain of leaves and set me down next to the trunk. A feeling of safety washed over my soul as the wondrous curved canopy secluded us from the rest of the Elderwood. Syethan dismounted Malgarth beside us, quickly pulling some logs from one of the travelling sacks. He set them on the ground hurriedly, throwing some orange powdery substance on top. Fascinated, I watched as flames started to rise forth from the wood until a smouldering fire had formed.

"What was that powder?" I asked, still watching the fire.

"It is scorch, a sand found in a part of the Summer Lands. It is incredibly useful for starting a fire quickly, especially when you find night creeping in fast while travelling," Syethan explained, coming to sit on the ground by me grasping various cooking utensils. If the people of Salem had access to this...the thought drifted through my head like the wind, as the image of being secured to a pyre as Minister Noyles threw the powder at my feet accompanied it. A shiver ran through my blood as my mind continued to present me with the image of flames consuming my body in moments.

"Are you alright My Lady?" Syethan's voice dragged me from my thoughts. Pulling my eyes away from the flames, his own silver pair were regarding my form with concern.

"Indeed Syethan," I quickly reassured. Vesryn's words echoed in the back of my mind, the fae had already been through much and I was damned if I was going to add further to his guilt. Though I had assured him there was nothing to forgive, I still received the impression it would be some time before Syethan believed it.

"You are quite sure My Lady? T'is just that you have been gazing at the fire for some time." I could hear the doubt coating his words like honey as he pulled out a wrapped package from one of the bags.

Before I could utter any more assurances that I was perfectly fine, Malgarth's rumbling voice cut through the air. "When we were fleeing those townsfolk of the mortal realm, I heard whispers and mutterings of burning. Their talk of it was laced with determination and hate though I do not know why." The shuck turned his shaggy head and held me in his golden gaze. I could not help but shift uncomfortably as he continued to stare.

Syethan turned his head from the shuck back to me. "What burning did they speak of My Lady?" He unwrapped the package with more force than necessary, revealing various foods.

"It does not matter any-"

"What burning?" Despite trying to maintain a sense of calm, anger was seeping into Syethan's tone and it appeared that he was butchering the food with his sword, rather than chopping it. A sigh escaped my lips. I did not want to do this. Though mayhap I can use this to my advantage...the idea hit my mind like a bolt of lightning.

"Very well, I shall tell you. But in return, I wish to know the secrets you're keeping. I am tired of being in the dark Syethan."

This time a sigh left the sidhe before he nodded his head in agreement. "T'is only fair My Lady," he conceded as he began throwing the food in a cooking pot that had seemingly appeared from nowhere. I could hear Vesryn and Malgarth moving as they shifted into a more comfortable position before I spoke.

"I told you a madness had taken over Salem. Panic and hysteria are rampant there at the moment and the people are willing to do anything to save themselves and Salem."

"Why is there such panic?" Vesryn murmured.

"They believe witches are targeting the town, causing people to get sick, torturing them in dreams and being generally responsible for all kinds of unfortunate things. However, the "witches" they punish are mainly those who are perhaps a bit odd or different. Having this hair colour and living alone on the outskirts of town, I knew it would not be long before they came for me. I was lucky that I had as much time as I did, otherwise I would not have met all of you." I offered each of them a small smile, which was returned by all three.

"And how exactly do they punish these witches?" Malgarth uttered, though his expression told me he had already figured out the answer. I was silent for a few moments, bracing myself to say it out loud. Finally, three quiet words left my lips.

"They burn them."

A loud clanging noise echoed through the air. Syethan had dropped the metal ladle he'd been using to stir the pot and was flexing his fingers in an agitated manner. Little specks of light glistened across his hands as he continued to move them. The realisation that frost was starting to form across his flesh worried me slightly. This was not a sidhe in control of himself. His breath became more ragged as the frost engulfed most of his hands. "Syethan?" I ventured "I am here and I am safe. You took me away from that fate."

Without warning, Syethan's arm shot out to the side like a bullet from a gun and a crystalline spike flew through the air, cutting through some of the willow leaves before embedding itself in one of the trees. "They were going to burn you. Light you on fire and celebrate. I should go back to that damned town and turn it into a frozen wasteland!" I could feel Syethan's anger as though it was a living thing clawing its way through him. My body moved without my permission, the only thought racing through my mind was to calm Syethan's rage. My arms curled around the sidhe as I embraced him, the words "I am safe" and "I am here" tumbling from my mouth like a waterfall.

It took a while, but eventually the tension lifted from Syethan's posture as his breathing returned to normal. I could no longer feel his ire, almost as if it had creeped away. One arm swept around my back and held me in return briefly. "I am alright My Lady," he whispered, untangling himself gently from my firm grip. He smiled at my anxious expression, "Truly,"

Malgarth and Vesryn lowered themselves back to the ground at this statement, at ease once more. Syethan reached for the ladle and began stirring again, though his eyes remained troubled. Carefully, I adjusted myself so that I stayed sitting near Syethan, but was not so close that would be suffocating. As I played with my blue cloak, softly and without warning, Syethan began to speak again.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful and beloved Queen. She ruled the realm of Winter firmly and fairly. The Queen was named Ilyana and was eventually blessed with a child, the Crown Princess. The Winter Realm was happy, along with the Royal Family, but that joy was short lived. The King perished in battle, leaving behind a heartbroken Queen and young Princess. However, the grief stricken Ilyana discovered the King had not left her completely alone. Another child was born, a girl named Rusalka." Syethan paused in his story, gaze never leaving the stew he was stirring as Vesryn and Malgarth growled at the name of the child. I listened curious as to the purpose of the story.

"Rusalka struggled into the world and it was clear from a young age she was not like the Crown Princess or Queen Ilyana. They say she was born with evil in her heart as no one has discovered or fathomed the reason why she is so wicked. Some say a combination of power, ambition and jealously grew within her until it consumed everything that was ever good in her soul."

"How could a child be so evil?" I asked confused, surely Syethan was exaggerating?

"It was little things at first I heard, but then her despicable acts grew. When she was still just a child, Rusalka organised a great coupe. She had somehow convinced knights and warriors to fight for her. With warriors loyal to her, she conducted one of the most depraved acts ever imagined."

"What did she do? I questioned, enraptured and wide eyed. Syethan's eyes closed for a few seconds before he opened them slowly. Gentle whines echoed from the two shucks.

"She killed the Queen. She murdered her mother for the crown."

Horrified, my hands flew to my mouth but Syethan was not finished.

"After her mother, there was one other issue to take care of. Her sister, the Crown Princess and rightful heir to the throne. Murder was too good for her sister, so Rusalka did something just as cruel. She forced her sister into the mortal realm and cut her off from the Etherland. Young and alone without the knowledge of how to return, Rusalka was sure her sister would suffer and die at the hands of mortals. We've all been living under her malicious reign ever since."

The silence ruled as I digested Syethan's story. Why would they want to take me to the Winter Realm with a malevolent Queen? What could I possibly do against her?

"Why exactly do you need me?" the apprehensive question fled my mouth and my instinct screamed at me that whatever the answer was, it would not be good.

"The Crown Princess's name was Ebeline. She was born with silver hair and lilac eyes."

"No," I choked out. That would mean...

"I am sorry My Lady," Syethan said softly, "Rusalka is your sister."